Translating College Lectures/Classes for International Students
In our digital day and age, people are turning to the Internet for virtually anything – from holiday shopping to roof repair to purchasing insurance and much, much more. So it should as no surprise than an increasing number of people are also turning to the worldwide web to obtain college degrees. Many of the accredited institutions that offer online degrees present students with courses that are no less challenging than regular college classes they might take at any four-year university. These online courses offer a level of convenience and affordability that makes them extremely appealing to many students – particularly those from other countries, many of whom would never be able to afford the expense of traveling to the U.S. to attend an American college or university in person. Online colleges allow their students to work at their degrees on their own schedule, which is a huge advantages to people trying to juggle college studies with family, work and other obligations.
Yet with all the advantages presented by online colleges, they also present challenges for the students, particularly those from overseas. One of the greatest of those is the language barrier than so many students encounter in online courses. Not surprisingly, most classes offered by U.S.-based online institutions have a heavy emphasis in writing. While some international students may speak English adequately enough to communicate clearly with others, writing college-level papers is something else entirely. Lectures and classes that are only presented in English add yet another layer of complexity to the language barrier encountered by international students enrolled in online courses. Absorbing the information presented in a college class can be challenging enough for native-English-speaking students, so you can only imagine how difficult it would be for a foreign pupil!
This is why the translation services offered by reputable translation companies provide such valuable services for online colleges. The first step for most institutions is recruitment. Professional translators help accredited institutions reach out to potential students with a variety of translated marketing material – from brochures to websites and much more. Many translation companies provide translated versions of everything from enrollment forms to student handbooks. But perhaps the most important role taken on by professional linguists is the translation of college lectures, class presentations and exams. Without this valuable service, many international students would be altogether unable to partake in online education.
But these vital translation services don’t end at the lecture. In fact, many translation companies provide a broad range of services that extend throughout the period during which the international students are enrolled in online courses – from translated student transcripts that may be required for enrollment purposes to translation of papers written by foreign enrollees to translations of degrees and certificates earned by the international students at the conclusion of their participation in a course of study.
Whether you are a staff member of an accredited online college, or a student from overseas seeking help in completing the coursework for one of these institutions, the services provided by a reputable, experienced translation company can be an invaluable asset. The first step involved in securing the services of a qualified translator is to contact a translation company. Look for an organization with experience in the education industry – which is typically indicated on the list of industries they serve. Ask if they can provide examples of other academic institutions they’ve worked with, as well as the level of experience of their educational translators. Education should be the right of every individual, and we are proud of the important role that translation companies play in making this a reality for students from around the world.